Navigating the Job Market in 2023

Happy New Year everyone!

2023 has kicked off and the job market is one like we’ve never seen before. Firstly, I would like to start off by extending my support to anyone who is impacted by layoffs and market uncertainty. I don’t have a crystal ball to say when things might get back to normal but I do have a few tips that hopefully are of some use during these times.

1. Network, network, network: I can’t stress this enough. At a time when most companies are on hiring freezes, it’s important to continue building these relationships for a number of reasons. The first being that building a larger network means more fruitful conversations that could potentially lead to a new role,career or even a new entrepreneurial endeavor! This doesn’t necessarily have to be at the current role or company of the person you network with. They might be able to introduce you to someone in their network who is hiring,share your resume, or provide some helpful direction. Secondly, networking allows you to get a better sense of what roles are open. Companies unfortunately tend to leave job postings up, even if they are not actively recruiting for them. By checking in ahead of time you’ll save yourself time and disappointment.
2. Build your brand:This is always an interesting topic and now it’s more important than ever. Given the global market uncertainty, companies are going to really look hard at their hiring needs and prioritize their hiring. You’ll see fewer roles, and more competition for these roles. This means you have to set yourself apart. I’m not a content/marketing expert by any means, but a few little things can make a difference in my opinion. I’ll use Linkedin as an example, posting quality content regularly that can be shared or reposted will be a big boost. As will conducting workshops or leading sessions on an area of expertise to share your knowledge, or attending events and doing public speaking engagements. I know that public speaking can be nerve wracking and might not be for everyone so even putting thoughts down via blog or behind the scenes on a podcast are other great ways to build your brand. Be sure to highlight these on your resume, your Linkedin profile or any other job boards in which you apply.
3. Sharpen your skills: This section is a bit harder to quantify but nonetheless equally important. I will say there is no right or wrong way to approach this, however specializing and doing one skill extremely well should help bear some fruit. An example: let’s say you’re applying for a Sr. Backend Engineer role, chances are there will be a ton of applicants with similar skill sets, which means the interview process will be quite thorough. Be prepared to do a take-home or a pair programming session, it’s vital that you really brush up on your skills to ensure your level of expertise shine. Doing a little more by doing online assessments, utilizing platforms like coursera and picking the brain of your mentors with relevant skills can help.
4. A clear and concise resume: This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. But after being in Talent Acquisition for almost nine years now nothing surprises me! I’ve seen resumes that are too short or worse, too long! Keep your resume concise, authentic and impact driven.Be sure to highlight the impact you have made. For example, instead of saying that you “provided exceptional customer service” you could word it as “Provided exceptional customer service resulting in a decrease of customer complaints by 50%”. The difference in these two statements is that one is generic, while the other highlights the work you’ve done in a more quantifiable manner. My suggestion: only include the most relevant roles. Go back three roles outlining roughly 3–4 bullet points that explain the impact you made. For those starting off their careers, it’s okay to include your educational experience or part-time roles. You can also include extracurricular activities such as projects/initiatives you’ve been a part of. Another useful tip is to keep the resume no more than two pages in length and remove the objectives section and “references will be provided on request” part. These sections really don’t provide any value. Instead include a section on skills and your proficiencies. This will make your resume more powerful as it helps illustrate your strengths. I would like to highlight that I don’t mean “interpersonal skills.” Think “proficient at “Salesforce” versus “hardworking”. Lastly make sure that you cater the resume to the role, or at the least have a master copy that you can tailor to a role.This will increase your chances of hearing back from the company. One point I must add is that as you fix your resume make sure that your Linkedin profile is also reflective of the changes. Your Linkedin profile is as important as your resume!
5. Be patient, the storm will pass:I know it is easier said than done and there is nothing that I can say that will make it any easier, however the tide will turn. The past year has seen amazingly talented folks unfortunately be impacted by layoffs. Companies have gone on hiring freezes and will continue to do so, budgets have been slashed and a recession looms on the global markets. It feels like all doom and gloom but I’ve seen amazing things as well! Communities within different industries/verticals have come together to help those impacted find new career opportunities and folks sharing and commenting on posts to increase awareness including new job boards. This gives me hope that 2023 will be a year of growth and a willingness to help each other.

In conclusion I wanted to reiterate that I would like to help in any way I can. Myself and my team at Xero are here to help. Whether it’s helping review your resume, sharing it within our networks or just being here to listen if you need to vent. Please reach out and we’ll try to help as best we can.

Rest assured that we will get through it all together.